How to use the gas mark converter
- Under I have, choose Gas mark or Temperature.
- For a gas mark, pick it from the Gas mark list (¼, ½ and 1 to 10). You get °F, °C, a fan-oven estimate and a short description such as “Moderately hot”.
- For a temperature, type it in Oven temperature and set Scale to °C or °F. The tool shows the nearest gas mark, what that mark is in both scales, and your temperature in both scales.
- The full reference table appears under every result.
What it does and when to use it
Gas marks are the temperature settings printed on many gas cookers in the UK and Ireland. Older British recipe books often give only a gas mark, while newer ones and most recipes from elsewhere give °C or °F. Use this converter when you cook a gas-mark recipe in an electric oven, or a Celsius recipe on a gas cooker.
To convert any other temperature, such as a sugar or frying thermometer reading, use the temperature converter. For cups, spoons and millilitres in the same recipe, the cooking measurement converter helps, and the weight converter handles grams and ounces.
How it works
The tool does not use a formula for the Celsius column. It looks the mark up in this table:
| Gas mark | °F | °C | Fan °C | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ | 225 | 110 | 90 | Very cool / very slow |
| ½ | 250 | 120 | 100 | Very cool / very slow |
| 1 | 275 | 140 | 120 | Cool / slow |
| 2 | 300 | 150 | 130 | Cool / slow |
| 3 | 325 | 170 | 150 | Warm / moderately slow |
| 4 | 350 | 180 | 160 | Moderate |
| 5 | 375 | 190 | 170 | Moderately hot |
| 6 | 400 | 200 | 180 | Moderately hot |
| 7 | 425 | 220 | 200 | Hot |
| 8 | 450 | 230 | 210 | Very hot |
| 9 | 475 | 240 | 220 | Very hot |
| 10 | 500 | 260 | 240 | Extremely hot |
The °F values are exact. The °C values are the rounded figures kitchen tables use. For most marks they are the °F value converted and rounded to the nearest 10, but gas mark 3 (exactly 162.8 °C) is listed as 170 and gas mark 9 (exactly 246.1 °C) as 240. Gas marks are a cooking convention with no current official standard, so treat every °C figure as a guide.
When you enter a temperature, °F is first converted to °C. The tool then picks the mark whose °C value is closest. If your temperature is exactly halfway between two marks, both are shown, so 160 °C returns “Between gas mark 2 and 3”.
Worked examples
Gas mark 6. The result reads Gas mark 6: 400 °F, Celsius 200 °C, fan oven about 180 °C, “Moderately hot”.
An American recipe at 375 °F. The tool shows your temperature as 191 °C / 375 °F and returns Nearest: Gas mark 5 (375 °F / 190 °C).
Too hot for a gas oven. 300 °C gives the message that this temperature is outside that range, because gas marks stop at 10 (260 °C).
Limits and tips
- Many ovens run hotter or cooler than the dial says. An oven thermometer tells you more than any conversion table.
- Not every cooker dial shows every mark. Use the nearest mark your dial offers and check the food a little early.
Frequently asked questions
What is gas mark 4 in Celsius?
How are gas marks worked out?
Why does my recipe say gas mark 3 is 160 °C when this says 170 °C?
What does the fan-oven column mean?
What happens if I enter a very high or very low temperature?
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